Operation Grindstop – saving whales

by ordernorainbows on August 10, 2014

My amazing colleagues currently taking part in Sea Shepherd’s Operation Grindstop in the Faroe Islands recently managed to escort a pod of pilot whales safely back out to sea when they were threatened with death at the hands of the whalers. The whales had entered Haraldssund Fjord on Wednesday 30 July, where they were spotted by the whale killers.

Fortunately due to the weather turning bad the hunt was not started. The hunters apparently thought that the whales would remain in the area until the next morning. However the Sea Shepherd volunteers had other ideas. The land teams kept watch overnight and two of the small boats braved the stormy conditions and escorted the whales back out to sea and away from the danger.

The local whalers were apparently not very happy, and threatened to take legal action against Sea Shepherd because the whales escaped. But it was a great day for the whales.

I feel so proud to have been part of this campaign, even if it was for a short period. I know that the volunteers in the Faroes are amazing people who are working very, very hard, and are committed to saving the whales. It’s not an easy job, but Sea Shepherd will continue to have a presence in the Faroe Islands until October.

Here’s a video showing what happened:

To learn more or to support Operation Grindstop please visit the campaign’s website.